Cut pile carpeting and method of making the same



Oct 1960 L. WALMSLEY 2,955,346

CUT FILE CARPETING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Filed Dec. 30, 1957 Unite CUT PILE CARPETING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE 9 Claims. (CI. 28-76) This inventionrelates to cut pile carpeting whether tufted, woven, or knitted, and if woven, whether produced as Axminster, Brussels, broadloom, velvet or other type. More particularly, theinvention deals with the tufts of cut pile carpeting, with a new plied composite yarn strand for forming the tufts and with a method of making the carpeting.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a cut pile carpet having tufts formed of composite yarn strands, one of which strands of the composite has superior wear resistant properties and another yarn of the composite States Patent being of a material which is highly crimped andwhich lies close to the backing fabric so as to lend support to the wear resistant yarn and t impart an improved body and'feel to the carpet. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a composite yarnstrand formed of at least of yarn and which issui-table'for use for forming the tufts of cut pile carpeting. H Still another object of the invention is to provide a cut pile carpet having tufts formed ofplied strands'of wool and aspecial type of Water crimpable regenerated 'cellulose.

A further object of the invention is to providea method ofmaking carpeting'lraving-tufts cor'n'prisin'ga wear resistant yarn which extends a substantial distance upwardly from the backing fabric to provide a wear resistant surface and a cellulose acetate or regenerated cellulose yarn tightly crimped about the wear resistant yarn and lying close to the backing fabric.

Other and further objects, features, and advantagm of the invention will become apparent as a description of a preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

Referring now to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a carpet made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing one of the tufts secured to the backing fabric of the carpet, before the carpet has been immersed in Water;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but shows the effect of immersing the carpet in water;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a composite yarn strand made in accordance with the invention; and

two different types Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a segment i of the new yarn showing the eitect of immersing the yarn in a liquid medium.

In accordance with the present invention a yarn strand 10 is twisted or plied together with a yarn strand 11 as shown in Figure 4. The strand 10 may be formed of Wool fibers or may be formed of continuous filaments of nylon or other material having exceptionalwear resistant and soil resistant properties, wool ordinarily being preferred. The strand 11 is formed of con 'nuous filaments of a special type of rayon which has the characteristic of spontaneously assuming a permanent crimp when subjected to an aqueous liquid such as water. Inasmuch as the method of making this special type of rayon does not form a part of the present invention, the

thenon-crimping strand 10,

than the strands 11 same need not be described in this erence may be had to the patents to Merion et al., No. 2,517,694, Kulp et al., No. 2,572,936, or Nicoll, No. 2,515,834 for a description of the methods ofmaking a suitable yarn. -As described in the first two patents the filaments are formed of regenerated cellulose and have a non-uniformity of structure cross-seotionally thereof which causes such filaments to assume a permanent tight crimp very rapidly when'immersed in water while the yarn is free of tension. When the yarn is made as described in said first two mentioned patentsno swelling of the yarn takes place when it is immersed in Water but only the above referred to crimping action. The yarn described in the Nicoll patent not only crimps when immersed in water but also swells and for this reason may not be as satisfactory for all purposes as the yarns described in the Merion and Kulp patents.

' Since, as previously mentioned, the invention is equally applicable to all types of cut pile carpeting, the drawing merely indicates generally a tufted carpet having a backing fabric 12' to which the tufts are sewn. .The tufts are formed of composite yarn strands as shown in Figure 4, each of the individual strands of the composite strand being of substantially the same overall length. It is to be particularly noted that the composite yarn'strand is not a blend of diflerent fibers but comprises two distinct yarn strands. There may be more than two strands and the strand 10 may itself be a blendbut in accordance with the present invention the strand '11 must be formed of continuous filaments of a liquid crimpable yarn.

After all of the tufts have been inserted, the carpeting is immersed in cold water, or other aqueous liquid depending upon the particular nature of the yarn .11, whereupon the strand 11 of the composite strands of thetufts spontaneouslycrimps'tightly and permanently about 7 the free ends of the strands 11 moving down close to the backing fabric during the crimping process. This leaves the strands '10 extending upwardly from the. backing fabric considerably further so as to provide a surface consisting of a single type of yarn. The superior wearing qualities of wool, and the fact that wool does not soil easily and when soiled is easy to clean, recommend this yarn for carpeting use. However,'wool is quite expensive and the present invention by combining the wool with rayon in the manner above described provides a carpeting having many of the qualities of an all wool carpet at considerably less expense than all wool carpeting. While wool is superior in many respects, the invention contemplates that the strand 10 may be some other yarn having good wear resistant qualities.

The special rayon of the yarn 11, by crimping about the yarn 10, as shown, gives support to the fibers of the strand 10 and causes the tufts to stand upright and resist matting. The tight crimp or cell of the strand 11 also gives increased body to the carpet and gives the carpet a more springy and comfortable feel. It is well known that rayon has not been as widely used in carpeting as might otherwise have been the case because its wearing properties are such that it is not particularly suited for the type of wear ordinarily imposed upon carpets. However, with a carpet constructed in accordance with the prment invention, it will be observed that the rayon is not subjected to any abrading action because the wear resistant yarn 10 such as wool, by extending higher than the rayon, takes all the wear.

In addition to the above advantages, it has been found that some very interesting color effects may be obtained in a carpet of this type since the wear resistant yarn will not have an affinity for the same types of tyes as will the crimped yarn. Thus, be dyed a color contrasting with the color of the surface specification but reffor example, the crimped yarn may forming yarn and the color of the crimped yarn will be visible when and only when the surface yarn is brushed down.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. Forforming tufts in cut pile carpeting, a composite yarn strand comprising a first strand of a yarn having the characteristic of assuming a permanent crimp when a liquid is applied thereto, a second strand of a yarn not having this crimping characteristic, and said strands being plied together.

2. For forming tufts in a cut pile fabric, a composite yarn strand comprising a strand of wool fibers, a strand formed of a material which will crimp when a liquid is applied thereto, and said strands being plied together.

3. For forming tufts in a cut pile fabric, a composite yarn strand comprising a strand of wool fibers and a strand of substantially straight continuous filaments, said filaments being formed of regenerated cellulose and having a non-uniformity of structure cross-sectionally thereof whereby said filaments have the characteristic of spontaneously crimping when subjected to an aqueous liquid, and said strands being plied together.

4. A cut pile carpet comprising a backing fabric, tufts secured in said backing fabric, said tufts comprising plied strands of a wear resistant yarn and a highly crimped yarn, said wear resistant yarn extending upwardly from said backing fabric further than said highly crimped yarn and said crimped yarn helping to hold said wear resistant yarn upright.

A cut pile carpet comprising a backing fabric, tufts secured in said backing fabric, said tufts comprising plied strands of wool and crimped rayon, said wool strands rayon strand being tightly coiled about the wool strand close to said backing fabric to provide a resilient feel to extending upwardly from said backing fabric further than said crimped rayon, so as to provide an all wool wearing surface.

6. A cut pile fabric comprising a backing fabric, tufts secured in said backing fabric, each of said tufts comprising a plied strand of wool yarn and crimped rayon yarn, said yarn strands having substantially the same over-all length, said wool strand extending upwardly from said backing fabric further than said crimped rayon strand to provide a wear resistant surface, and said crimped the carpet.

7. A cut pile carpet comprising a backing fabric, tufts secured in said backing fabric, said tufts comprising plied strands of a wear resistant yarn and a highly crimped yarn, said wear resistant yarn extending upwardly from saidbacking fabric further than said highly crimped yarn, said crimped yarn helping to hold said wear resistant yarn upright, and said yarns having affinity for different types of dyes whereby a two-color effect may be obtained by subjecting the carpet to different types of dyes.

8. An intermediate article in the manufacture ofcut pile carpeting comprising a backing fabric, tufts secured in said backing fabric, said tufts being formed of composite strands comprising a strand of wool fibers and a strand of substantially straight filaments, said wool strands and said filament strands being plied together, said filaments being formed of regenerated cellulose and having a non-uniformity of structure crosssectionally thereof whereby said filaments have the characteristic of spontaneously crimping when immersed in water.

9. A method of manufacturing cut pile carpeting having tufts formed of composite yarn strands one of the strands of which extends outwardly a substantial distance from the backing fabric of the carpeting and another strand of which is tightly coiled about the first and lies close to the backing fabric, comprising forming tufts of substantially co-extensive plied strands of a wear resistant yarn and a yarn having the characteristic of permanently crimping when treated with an aqueous liquid, and subjecting the carpeting to an aqueous liquid to thus cause the yarn having the characteristic of crimping to crimp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,909 Fonda June 28, 1938 2,414,800 Charch et a1 Jan. 28, 1947 2,701,406 Bloch Feb. 8, 1955 2,754,578 Groat July 17, 1956 2,866,255 Keen Dec. 30, 1958 

